When Is It Time to Move to a Retirement Apartment?
Posted on: 28 November 2017
If you're retired or at retirement age, and your kids have grown and left the family home, you may be facing the decision of staying in that home versus moving into a retirement apartment. There are many pros and cons of either choice, and the comfort of being in a home where you've lived for many years is just as important as any other consideration. However, note a few advantages of retirement apartments, and some signs that it might be time to consider such a move:
Your home is suffering neglect
Not keeping up with needed home maintenance can actually cause the home to decrease in value. Neglecting certain repairs can also be dangerous for you; as an example, if you don't have leaks fixed in the home's plumbing pipes, this can lead to the growth of mould, which can affect your health. Lack of proper insulation can make the home bitterly cold in wintertime and very hot and humid in summertime, which is also dangerous, especially for an elderly person. If your home's upkeep has been neglected because of failing health, or because you are not interested in managing these tasks at your age, it may be time to move to a retirement apartment, where standard maintenance and upkeep is typically included.
You need to meet new people
As your friends get older, they might move from their family home to a tropical area, or get more involved with their interests and hobbies. You may also be retired while your friends still work, so your schedules are incompatible. Rather than simply sitting at home alone, it might be good to move to a retirement community that has activities for residents, so you can meet new people and stay active as you get older.
You want to travel
If you want to travel during your retirement years, it may be difficult to keep your home secure while you're away. Even if you have heavy-duty locks and set your lights on a timer, a thief may easily discern that the house is empty, and your home becomes their prime target. You may also want to keep the temperature somewhat moderate in your home while you're away, so pipes don't freeze and timber floors aren't damaged by excessive heat, but this can mean paying quite a bit of money to heat and cool an empty home. A retirement apartment may be less conspicuous to passersby and will cost less to heat and cool while you travel.
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